1. Prerequisites *

At the start of this course the student should have acquired the following competences: an active knowledge of

English

All debates are in English, students are encouraged to ask questions or make critical remarks at the end of the debate.

The assignments and exam have to be written in English. Therefore the student should be able to produce a clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

2. Learning outcomes *

Students have insights in the various dimensions of political economy of natural resources and development and can learn from contradictory opinions about it. They can distinguish facts from opinion. They can also contribute their own opinion and sustain with arguments.

3. Course contents *

This annual series of eight debates has the intention to expose students and the interested public to contemporary development topics. We offer a platform for reflection on current topics in the field of development to a broad public. Each topic is introduced on the basis of a presentation by a renowned speaker. A discussant sets the stage for further debate. Our guest speakers come from international institutes, civil society and academia. Most of the discussions will be moderated by the academic staff of the University of Antwerp.

Students are not expected to be debaters themselves. They are actually the spectators of the debates, but there is room for questions and critical remarks. The focus of the course is on the academic content.

As we put a strong emphasis on the academic content, we aim at a nuanced approach to the topics.

Every year we select a different central theme. The previous years we covered democracy, urban development and the Sustainable Development Goals. During the academic year 2017-18 we work on natural resources and development. We chose for "Debating Development 2017: the global resource grab?" as the title of this edition. Natural resources are substances such as minerals, forests and water that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain. The rise of global consumption comes with a growing need for countries and companies to access resources, which are often located in developing countries. How does the global South deal with this assumed advantage? Does it benefit the well-being of all people? And how can the exploitation and use of resources be made more sustainable?

To give you an idea of the course materials: the executive summary of the African Development Report 2007 - Natural resources for Sustainable Development in Africa (pp. xv – xxv) has a good overview of some key concepts and vocabulary terms that you should know. The report is based on African experience but is generalizable. Another good report is Overconsumption - Our use of the world's natural resources (Friends of the Earth, 2009), which you can find here: http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2009/Overconsumption_Sep09.pdf

Join the debate on social media

Enter the debates online by using #debdev on Twitter or on Facebook.

Get involved in student participation for development

The University Foundation for Development Cooperation (USOS) offers a wide range of on-campus activities on development. Go to www.usos.be and join us.